Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Sunday, June 5, 2022
Is Pakistan paying attention to existential environment crises?
Water crisis
Researchers predict that Pakistan is on its way to becoming the most water-stressed country in the region by the year 2040.
According to a 2018 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranked third in the world among countries facing acute water shortage. Reports by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) also warn the authorities that the South Asian country will reach absolute water scarcity by 2025.
In 2016, PCRWR reported that Pakistan touched the "water stress line" in 1990 and crossed the "water scarcity line" in 2005. If this situation persists, Pakistan is likely to face an acute water shortage or a drought-like situation in the near future, according to PCRWR, which is affiliated with the nation's Ministry of Science and Technology.
Pakistan has the world's fourth-highest rate of water use. Its water intensity rate — the amount of water, in cubic meters, used per unit of GDP — is the world's highest.
Environmental degradation
Environment specialist Rahat Jabeen writes in a World Bank blog that every year Pakistan loses almost 27,000 hectares of natural forest area, explaining that almost three-quarters of the country's population use forest resources for a lack of alternative energy resources.
Pakistan is among the top ten countries in the world that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, according to Mome Saleem, an environmental activist.
"The agriculture land is being used for housing projects, which has resulted in the loss of trees and extreme heat waves. No attention is being paid to depleting water, which is already scarce," she added.
https://www.dw.com/en/is-pakistan-paying-attention-to-existential-environment-crises/a-61987940
Balochistan Local Government Elections Will Strengthen Democracy – OpEd
By Qudrat Ullah
In 2022, Balochistan has remained in limelight of national and international media and the reason was its security situation, where banned organizations including Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carried out attacks, targeting armed forces. The major attacks were carried out in February in districts of Panjgur and Noshki. The recent incident which involved a Baloch woman, Shari Baloch affiliated with Majeed Brigade, carried out a suicide attack on Chinese teachers in Karachi University. The attack left the common man wondering about Baloch youth, especially women.
In Baloch culture a woman has been given a great respect. It is trait of Baloch culture, “If a woman interferes during tribal feuds between two warring tribes – both parties will stop fighting”. But Shari Baloch’s worrisome and extreme step has left many Baloch wondering in what direction she tried to take the youth of the province. Meanwhile Balochistan remain far from being in news else of security situation. In the areas where there is an impression that Baloch people are wary of state and its policies; the reality is otherwise.
Election Commission of Pakistan held Local Government Elections on 29th of May in 32 districts of Balochistan. In elections as many as 132 female candidates contested directly on general seats where they were facing male candidates. Most of these women belong to Kohlu district, from where 22 females were in the field, followed by 21 from Kech district.
Despite the threats and boycott by Baloch militants, the elections remained largely peaceful with reports of minor irregularities. Militants as per their threats carried out a grenade attack outside a female polling station in Noshki district, causing no injuries.
The participation of people in local elections expressed confidence in democracy by rejecting the resistive / armed narrative of Baloch insurgents. The peaceful atmosphere in which the elections were held shows that the security situation has improved largely and the insurgents have failed to materialize their illicit designs to disturb the peace and harmony of the province.
It also highlights that the people of the province need grass root level leaders which they can access easily and can ask them for their basic needs/rights. The other thing which is encouraging is the participation of women in elections, which in a tribal society has less affirmation. The continuation of the participation of ordinary people in the local government will strengthen the democratic structure of the society.
Balochistan province comprises of tribal ethnicities both Baloch and Pashtun. The province has been run by the governments with the amalgamation of tribal leadership of both ethnicities. It still lags in governance as compared to other provinces of the country. The inability of Baloch and Pashtun leaders to streamline the affairs of province will give more space to moderate population to come forward and play their role for the development of Balochistan.
The process which will open the sphere for such strategy is local government which is more likely than centralized structures to provide citizens with the opportunity to participate actively and directly in decisions that affect them closely.
In Pakistan there are two schools of thoughts regarding the grass root level leadership. One of them is the local government system and other is the student unions in educational institutions. If we look in past three decades, the educational institutions have produced few leaders of grass root level, whereas many of the provincial level leaders now in politics have come through local government process. The student leaders are less interested as compared to local leaders to come forward and get involved in political process.
It both depends on the opportunities and the process which enables the ordinary people to come forward and play their role for their society, province and country. But with the history and existence of local governments around the world, it shows that it is the most effective way to strengthen democracy and enhance the life standard of common people. In Pakistan, if local government elections are held consecutively, it will take the country to the list of strong democracies by producing effective leadership.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/05062022-balochistan-local-government-elections-will-strengthen-democracy-oped/
From Colombo to Islamabad - A steep rise in inflation will create a potent mix that could easily lead to social unrest in the country.
A steep rise in inflation will create a potent mix that could easily lead to social unrest in the country.
Oil prices are not going to come down anytime soon. As the European Union moves to ban Russian oil imports, some analysts believe that Russia may try to punish Europe by curtailing production, thus raising international oil prices in order to inflict maximum damage on European economies. Some market analysts are warning investors to brace themselves for an economic ‘hurricane’ that may push oil prices to as high as $175 per barrel.
With no end to the oil price escalation in sight, and with rapidly depleting reserves, the government was forced to go to the IMF. However, the IMF had already indicated that in order for talks to be fruitful, this government would have to reduce the fiscal deficit by passing on the rise in oil prices to the people. This put the government between a rock and a hard place.
It is believed by many that political stability and economic growth are deeply interconnected as political uncertainty and social unrest lead to lower levels of investment and growth. Recent economic crises in countries such as Lebanon and Sri Lanka can be traced to internal political instability. Specifically, as economic crises start taking shape, governments at times exacerbate crises by trying to avoid or control political instability or by simply making poor economic decisions under political pressure.
Many economists recently criticised the government for not passing on the rise in international oil prices to consumers, with many commentators blaming it on the government’s indecisiveness. But there is evidence to suggest that the government had a fair idea about the worsening economic situation since the contours of the crisis were visible as early as February this year. The government, for instance, was very quick in tapping Miftah Ismail for the finance portfolio, even when the rest of the cabinet had not been announced. Still, the government dithered on passing on the prices until the political storm had blown over in Islamabad.
Perhaps, the government was correct in waiting for the political situation to settle down as passing on the price increase would surely lead to back-breaking inflation. It is very likely that inflation will touch 18pc to 20pc this calendar year, given how international oil prices are going up. In a politically volatile environment, passing on a massive price increase to the people would be akin to fanning the flames of social unrest.
To be sure, the government was evaluating an increase in fuel prices after the political volatility reached its climax with the in-house change in the National Assembly. Political volatility has not since abated, especially as the Punjab chief minister remained unsuccessful in announcing his cabinet until very recently.
Though there are indications of near-successful negotiations between the IMF and the government, Pakistan’s economy is not out of the woods. On the external front, the economy is facing extremely strong headwinds in the shape of continued pressure on foreign exchange reserves coming from elevated oil prices, as well as from rising policy rates in developed economies.
Additionally, Pakistan’s export destinations are experiencing stagflation, ending all hope of exports bailing us out. On the domestic front, a steep rise in inflation will create a potent mix that could easily lead to social unrest, thereby making it difficult for the government to take optimal economic decisions. In a sense, a severe economic crisis coupled with political instability could very well turn into a vicious cycle, whereby Pakistan starts hurtling towards a hard default like Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless, a hard default can be avoided. But in order to do that, unpopular economic decisions will need to be taken such as passing on oil price increases, having more import controls and possibly even fuel rationing. Given this very challenging economic scenario, political stability is the need of the hour. Forcing the government to call elections in the midst of a devastating economic crisis will only serve to increase political instability as different parties may decide to face off in the streets of Islamabad.
Moreover, the IMF and other international lenders may be reluctant to talk and provide assistance to a caretaker government, given there is no guarantee that the caretakers’ promises would be honoured by the next government. The fate of Islamabad and that of Pakistan’s economy is going be determined by political continuity and stability.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1692899/from-colombo-to-islamabad
Audio Report - Climate change and overuse is threatening Pakistan's main waterway
In a rare journey down the length of the Indus River, a filmmaker and environmental activists survey damage done to Pakistan's main water artery and meet the people who live on its ancient banks.
Saturday, June 4, 2022
UK to link Pakistan aid with human rights
https://theprint.in/world/uk-to-link-pakistan-aid-with-human-rights/983684/
PPP's Rabbani says tasking ISI with screening govt officials amounts to 'ceding civilian space'
PPP leader and former senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Saturday termed the federal government's decision to task the country's premier spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with screening civil servants as "surprising" and said the move amounted to "ceding civilian space".
An Establishment Division notification issued early last month, and which was reported widely yesterday, stated:
"In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act 1973 […] read with notification No. SRO 120 (1)/1998 […] the prime minister is pleased to notify Directorate General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as [the] Special Vetting Agency (SVA) for verification and screening of all Public Office Holders (Officers Category)."
The quoted laws — i.e. sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act as well as SRO 120 — empower the prime minister to amend or make rules for the civil bureaucracy. The direction to notify the ISI as SVA had been issued from the office of the prime minister on May 6.
Interfaith group urges Pakistan to hire back reporter who was fired for Israel visit
Journalist Ahmed Quraishi says trip was ‘by private individuals, with no direct links to Pakistan and its policies’ amid opposition claims he was sent by government.A US-based non-government organization devoted to promoting Muslim-Jewish relations on Friday urged Pakistan’s state-run television to hire back one of its anchors who was fired for visiting Israel with an interfaith group last month. The plea from the Mukhayriq Initiative, which has both Muslim and Jewish members living in the United States and around the world, comes days after journalist Ahmed Quraishi was taken off the air and fired by Pakistan Television following his visit to Jerusalem, where he met with President Isaac Herzog.Quraishi was part of a 15-member delegation of mostly Pakistani expatriates living in America that traveled to Israel. The visit came under severe criticism in Pakistan, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation with no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On Monday, Pakistan’s state-run TV tweeted that it laid off Quraishi who visited Israel in a “personal capacity.” Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also announced Quraishi’s removal for the visit to Israel. Among those who criticized the visit was Pakistan’s ousted former prime minister Imran Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician who was voted out of office in April. Khan claimed the visit to Jerusalem was meant to pave the way for Pakistan’s eventual recognition of Israel — something the delegation denied. Quraishi was fired the day after Khan gave a speech that assailed the visit to Israel. The Mukhayriq Initiative said a tweet from Pakistani politician Shireen Mazari set off the controversy that got Quraishi fired.The government has also said there are no plans to establish ties with Israel.The head of the delegation, Anila Ali, a Pakistani-born US citizen living in Washington, defended the visit, telling The Associated Press earlier this week that they only sought to reconcile Muslims and Jews.The Mukhayriq Initiative’s managing director, Ellie Cohanim, said Friday that Quraishi became “the target of a political agenda for doing nothing more than his job as a journalist.”She told the AP that after criticism from Khan, “Quraishi began to receive threats to his life” — even though he was only doing the “job of any good journalist, [which is] to seek information on the ground, and to understand issues first-hand.” Later Friday, Quraishi reiterated in a message sent to the AP that his visit was one “by private individuals, with no direct links to Pakistan and its policies, and covered by me as an independent journalist that works in Pakistan and the region.” “For any political party to politicize this for temporary political benefit is unfortunate,” he added. Cohanim said the Mukhayriq Initiative is a new NGO that “seeks to build on the shared history and shared values that bring Muslims and Jews together, knowing that united our peoples can write a new chapter of an ancient relationship.” Quraishi is a member of the initiative’s board.His visit to Israel provided him “with a significant opportunity to continue building bonds of understanding and peaceful coexistence,” the initiative said in a statement. The group said Quraishi’s firing was a “serious mistake which must be reversed. “At a time when more and more peoples of every religion and ethnicity are working towards building societies which promote tolerance and peace, PTV is signaling the exact opposite message to the people of Pakistan and to the world community,” the Mukhayriq Initiative said. The group called on international journalist groups to investigate the case, calling it a “dangerous precedent.” Israel and Pakistan have made overtures to each other in the past, most notably when the country’s foreign ministers met in Istanbul in 2005 following Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. But there hasn’t been any major public push to bring the countries closer, even as Israel has tightened ties in recent years with Pakistan’s rival, India. According to Pakistan’s national database, there are 745 registered Jewish citizens in Pakistan, which has a population of at least 220 million. https://www.timesofisrael.com/interfaith-group-urges-pakistan-to-hire-back-reporter-who-was-fired-for-israel-visit/
#Pakistan - Bilawal Bhutto already addressing Pakistan’s foreign policy challenges
By RAHIM NASAR
History repeats itself. The memories of legends remain alive among those nations that strive for dignity and integrity. In 1963, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became Pakistan’s foreign minister at a time when the country was facing several problems. Its security, economy, political scenarios, and relations with the international community were at all-time lows. For a young and determined foreign minister like Bhutto, dealing with regional and extra-regional powers, and resolving diplomatic issues was a daunting challenge. However, Bhutto was able to play a crucial role in presenting Pakistan’s positive image and normalizing ties with the international community.The new foreign minister showed promise during his first diplomatic trip to the US and EU.
The US State Department has also rejected Khan’s allegations, and called his ouster Pakistan’s internal issue. The US says it had no role in the political tension in Pakistan that resulted in the ouster of the government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). In the lead-up to Bilawal’s trip overseas, it seemed that he would not get much response from the US and the European Union, but his statesmanship qualities helped him present Pakistan’s case at the international level in a very responsible and professional manner. During his visit to the US, at a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, when Bilawal was asked by a journalist whether Imran Khan’s visit to Russia had led to a trust deficit and damaged Pakistan’s ties with the US and its allies, he categorically defended the ex-prime minister’s visit as part of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Referring to the invasion of Ukraine, Bilawal said Khan could not have been expected to know what Russia was planning. In this way, Bilawal demonstrated a sense of fairness and diplomacy even toward a political rival. In contrast, there is no doubt the irresponsible statements and undiplomatic attitude of Imran Khan and his team damaged Pakistan’s foreign relations. Islamabad’s ties with its neighbors reached a low point, even with traditionally friendly countries like China. Economically, Pakistan is a dependent state. Ruining relations with the United States means ruining relations with the entire Western world. Weakening Pakistan’s relationship with a superpower is tantamount to isolating itself from the world and marching toward economic and security challenges. Bilawal and his team will have to struggle for at least a year to normalize diplomatic ties and avoid trust deficits due to the role played by Imran Khan’s government.
Friday, June 3, 2022
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Monday, May 30, 2022
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reaches Turkey
Benazir Bhutto’s Struggle as Relevant Today as it was Decades Ago: Jacinda Ardern
https://www.newsweekpakistan.com/benazir-bhuttos-struggle-as-relevant-today-as-it-was-decades-ago-jacinda-ardern/
#Pakistan #PPP - Remembering Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Syeda Hameed’s book, Born to be Hanged (Rupa 2017), pays tribute to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whose death bequeathed to the Pakistani national memory a permanent challenge to the “frequent accident” of military rule.
Bhutto’s arrest
Following the imposition of martial law, Bhutto was tried on a charge of conspiracy to murder his political opponent, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, who was an active member of the opposition in Parliament and a virulent critic of ZAB and his government; an attack on Kasuri in November 1974 that he survived had resulted in the death of his father, Nawab Muhammad Khan. Following the imposition of martial law, ZAB was confined to a mess at Rawalpindi before being taken to Abbottabad, where he was kept till the end of July 1977.
Gen. Zia formally placed ZAB under arrest on Sept. 3, accusing him of entering into a conspiracy with Masood Mahmud and some other officers from the Federal Security Force for the murder of Kasuri’s father. He was arrested from his home in Karachi at 5:20 a.m. and brought to Lahore, where he was sent to Kot Lakhpat prison. On Sept. 11, police filed an incomplete challan before a magistrate at Lahore, which was sent to the Sessions Court before the state moved an application for the transfer of the case to the Lahore High Court. The very next day, Acting Chief Justice Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain passed an order transferring the case to the LHC and constituted a bench of five judges headed by himself to hear it.
Calling back Justice Mushtaq
Justice Mushtaq Hussain was in Europe when Zia declared martial law. He was called back to preside over the bench to try the prime minister. On Sept. 14, 1977, Justice M.A. Samdani ordered his release against bail of Rs. 50,000. Upon his release, ZAB immediately held a press conference in Lahore before leaving for Karachi and onwards to Larkana. It was from there that he was arrested for the last time; he would never see his ancestral home again.
Justice Mushtaq had a personal rivalry with ZAB. At one point, the PPP founder had prevented him becoming the chief justice of the Lahore High Court by blocking his request to transfer from Lahore to Karachi. When approached with the plea that ZAB’s life be spared, he responded: “If I don’t hang him, there is no other judge in Pakistan who will dare do that.”
Throughout his detention and trial, Bhutto never gave the impression that he was dispirited, nor did he show any signs of distress or despair. To quote his court submission: “Since the 18th of March 1978 [the day he was sentenced to death by the High Court] I have spent 22 to 23 hours out of the 24 in a congested and suffocating death cell. I have been hemmed in by its sordidness and stink throughout the heat and rain of the long hot summer. The light is poor. My eyesight has worsened. My health has been shattered. I have been in solitary confinement for almost a year but my morale is high because I am not made of the wood which burns easily. Through sheer will power, in conditions that are adverse in the extreme, I have written this rejoinder. Let all the White Papers come. I do not have to defend myself.”
Enter Justice Anwarul Haq
On Sept. 20, Begum Nusrat Bhutto submitted a Habeas Corpus application in the Supreme Court challenging the orders of arrest of her husband as unconstitutional and illegal. On Sept. 22, 1977, General Zia announced that the office of the Chief Justice had fallen vacant, and Chief Justice Yakub Ali Khan would be replaced by Anwarul Haq. ZAB objected to Anwarul Haq hearing his appeal for the following reasons: that he had publicly criticized Bhutto’s government and party, and declared General Zia ‘a national savior’; that he was closely associated with the chief justice of the Lahore High Court, which had pronounced him guilty; that he had acted as head of state during President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry’s absence abroad during the martial law regime; and that he had temporarily merged the military executive with the judiciary.
On Oct. 22, 1977, ZAB made a three-hour-long speech before the Supreme Court in support of his petition for release. On Nov. 10, 1977, the Supreme Court dismissed the application for ZAB’s release and rejected the submission about the unconstitutionality of the processes of the law. It held that the imposition of martial law, although an extra-constitutional step, was validated by the “doctrine of necessity” as the constitutional and moral authority of Bhutto’s government had completely broken down.
Begum Bhutto leads
While ZAB was in prison, the PPP was led by his wife, Begum Nusrat, who was assisted by their daughter, Benazir Bhutto. The weekly Al-Fatah reported on how she was attacked at the Gaddafi Stadium: “While wielding dandas (sticks) on the PPP supporters, a superintendent of police shouted to a policeman pointing at Begum Nusrat: ‘Attack this woman.’ He lifted his lathi and brought it down on her head. Blood gushed out and she fell to the ground. The SP was seen smiling.”
On Jan. 24, 1978, ZAB’s statement was recorded in open court. He said he was not presenting his defense but had confined himself to two issues (1) Reason for this trial and the fabricated case against him; (2) No confidence in getting a fair trial and justice. On March 22, 1978, the edition of PPP-supporting newspaper Musawat was sealed and its distribution stopped after the publication of a letter of ZAB to Yahya Bakhtiar, in which he described military authorities as dirty, miserable and slinking men. A few days later, on March 27, 1978, police raided Musawat’s Karachi office and seized all copies containing reports of ZAB’s appeal to the Supreme Court. Abbas Athar, a popular freelance journalist, was arrested for trying to publish ZAB’s speech in the court. The press was seized while the statement was being printed. On April 23, 1978, the editor of newspaper Sadaqat was likewise arrested. Zia observed at a press conference: “One or two public hangings will bring saboteurs to their senses.”
New laws bring death
On Feb. 10, 1979, President Zia announced that Pakistan’s legal system would be replaced by the traditional Islamic code. Punishments now included lashes, stoning to death, amputation of right hand, amputation of left foot for first and second offense and life sentence for third offense. On Feb. 24, 1979, Bhutto’s counsel presented a petition to the Supreme Court to review its judgment with the request that the two judges who dropped off be recalled. The apex court refused. The five judges of the LHC who had presided over the trial of ZAB had given a guilty verdict unanimously. The Supreme Court, during appeal, have a four-to-three judgment in favor of the guilty ruling. While all nine judges of the Supreme Court commenced hearing the appeal, one of them—Qaisar Khan—retired from the court after superannuation; while another, Justice Waheeduddin Ahmad, suffered a stroke near the conclusion of hearings.
The court waited three weeks for Ahmad’s recovery before resuming the hearing without him. The case proceedings concluded on Dec. 23, 1978, and judgement was rendered on Feb. 6, 1979. Chief Justice Anwarul Haq convicted ZAB and awarded him death penalty for a crime he deemed was “rarest of rare.” Senior journalist I.A. Rehman spoke about the fault-lines in the judgment: “In the case of death penalty, the court has to give unanimous decision; it has to be resolved beyond the slightest trace of doubt. But in this case at least 3 judges acquitted him, which means the doubt remained palpably unresolved.”
Ironies that survive
But what was this case? On Nov. 11 1974, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, an active member of the opposition in Parliament and a nasty critic of ZAB and his government, was returning home in his car after attending a marriage ceremony at Shadman Chowk in Lahore. A number of shots were fired at the car using automatic weapons. Nawab Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Kasuri’s father, was hit on the head and died on the spot. Kasuri, his mother, and sister escaped unhurt.
The huge irony which can only be termed destiny was that in 1931, Nawab Muhammad Ahmad Khan was the honorary magistrate of Kasur. It was in this exact spot that he had supervised the hanging of Bhagat Singh; the central jail located at Shadman Chowk had served as Singh’s prison. The roundabout in Shadman Colony, Lahore, where the execution chambers of the Lahore Central jail used to be, is where the former magistrate was shot in 1974.
https://www.newsweekpakistan.com/remembering-zulfikar-ali-bhutto/